Feather on the Water
by Chustang
Summary: Aisha's heart is broken, by the most unlikely person. And her late nigth wonderings of life are interrupted by a concerned friend, determined to make her talk to him again. *~Finished!~*
1. Realize

Feather on the Water Feather on the Water   
By Chustang Sundust   


~Part 1~   
Realize   


Moonlight played a slow song on the glittering black river, with the light dancing like thousands of people depicted as thousands of white dots. It was a perfect melody for her to cry to: totally silent. The tears flashing clear on her tan skin were ignored as her lips murmured over a few heartfelt lyrics to break the silence. Even silence began to press in on you when you had this much to think about, and the time it takes to heal a broken heart to think about it. Her crystal blue eyes lifted up to the stars, clutching a small daisy in her long fingers, and she curled her knees up to her chin. The girl sighed, and sniffed as a tear trickled wetly down her nose and through her whiskers.   
"Too bad," she said to herself. "Just too bad *sniff*… Aisha ole girl. He just didn't give you a chance, that's all." The Ctarl-Ctarl gave a sad smile, a strange emotion to grace her usually hyper and energetic face full of life, and tossed the minute blossom onto the water. It drifted quietly off, caught in the dancing light that seemed to buzz around the unwanted visitor. Aisha fluttered her eyes half closed.   
It was too late anyway. And it wouldn't have worked anyway. Even if she wanted it to.   


*Flashback*   
Aisha was ecstatic and bouncing off the walls. The Ctarl-Ctarl dashed room through room of the sunlit apartment, donning her best clothes. Her white hair was thoroughly groomed and placed up in round pigtails, with blue marble ties to keep them there. She was wearing a sassy blue top with the words 90% Angel across the middle, and a white cargo skirt. And across her face, the bubbly elation had stuck to a wild grin and it would not fade. Her heart was rising up into her throat with happiness.   
Dashing through the living room, it was strangely quiet in the gold warmth of the sun pouring in. She paused and called again for her fiancé-to-be, but there was no answer. The Ctarl-Ctarl looked around cautiously, almost dreading, with her large, deep blue eyes flickering around. She called again, and the voice echoed back, with no reply.   
Aisha shifted uneasily, and slipped the velvet blue case into her pocket, where she place her hand against the bulge. She knew it was against all human and Ctarl traditions, but she knew if he wouldn't propose, it would be her job. And there was no time… no telling how long before he fell in love with someone else. She was just too afraid to lose him before she had him.   
She walked through the study, where papers were sprawled about. Jim was sleeping in the piles of them; the yearly taxes. The Ctarl-Ctarl paused, then walked over to him. Her blue eyes attained a sense of sentiment, and she gently stroked the kid's cute face before picking his light body up and carrying him up stairs to bed. Jim had been up all night doing them; he deserved a break, especially all the emotional and financial support he supplied all of the OLS crew. Flicking the light on with her tail, Aisha gently placed him on the bed, and he sleepily opened his eyes as she walked away and out into the hall. Jim smiled, and then turned on his side to sleep.   
By now, the lanky and dark-skinned Ctarl teen had fully begun to worry. Had no one seen him? Where the hell could he be? Of all the ironic things, now she couldn't find him when most of the time she couldn't get away from him. And on the inside, it felt like he had her a leash, tugging slowly then suddenly letting go.   
Aisha shuddered, thinking about letting go.   
But suddenly, she heard him. That low, enchanting voice that drew her in a swirl of emotions again. It wasn't just a fling, she was certain, but the final fight with Hazanko had proved it, hearing of the strength and hero it had taken to beat him; She, Aisha Clan-Clan had fallen for a human.   
Barely able to contain her squealing, she rushed toward his room, and was about to bust down the door in happiness, when it happened. She heard the fears come to life. And she heard the other voice. Aisha paused, seeing the door cracked open, and crouched silently next to the opening, like a stalking tiger. Not daring to even touch the door if it might open or give her away, she leaned breathlessly over and looked in.   
Gene… and Melfina.   
The redheaded outlaw was leaning against the wall, in jeans only, and his mysterious dark blue eyes were focusing on the bio android beside him, who leaned quietly against him. Mel had her arm reached over his chest, and her hand around his neck, leaning her head against his shoulder. They were talking quietly, with the breakfast tray on the table completely forgotten and pushed away. Her heart twisted up painfully, as she saw her precious outlaw give a returning squeeze on the hand on his neck, smiling his dark and handsome face for her. Wild and breathtakingly red hair disheveled and unbrushed, he suddenly eased his other arm around her waist, until it was like dancing.   
"Listen Mel…" he said shyly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I know I've neglected you in the past few weeks. It's just that…"   
Aisha was praying for him to say, "It's just that I love someone else." But it was wrong deep in her fabric. And with tears rolling freely down her strong and giddy face, the Ctarl-Ctarl lipped the word "No" over and over, hoping silently for this nightmare to all end. Aisha buried her chin and mouth in her hands; barely able to keep her eyes open for what happened next. It just broke her heart, plain and simple.   
"It's just that… I love you, and I was to afraid to say it…"   
"Gene!"   
But he had pressed his forehead to hers, and a scarred finger came up to her lips to quiet her. Melfina was beaming with a soft smile of elation, as they drew closer. Aisha's eyes widened, misty with tears, and her lip trembled in longing and anguish. She saw them until the lips met, and then it blurred her whole world into disruption and corruption. Aisha fell back from the door, screaming no at the top of her lungs so the entire street echoed with her heartbreak, and she heard them fall into silence.   
Suddenly, Jim bolted out of his room and was panting, looking around. "Aisha, what happened? What's wrong? Why'd you scream like that?" His eyes were locked with hers, and she staggered up, biting her lip and shaking her head while clear tears glittered like diamonds on her face. The Ctarl-Ctarl flashed her eyes back, as Gene opened the door to look out in surprise, and seeing him again, with Melfina held at his side, cut the final straw.   
She ran.   
*End Flashback*   



	2. Remind

Feather on the Water - Part 2 Feather on the Water   
By Chustang Sundust   


~Part 2~   
Remind   


It was soulful and entirely the blues. At first, after she had fallen asleep, sitting on the beams under the bridge, it was just a comforting hum in the cold night air. Now, wavering like a cry of heartbreak, it became louder. Aisha blinked at the music, and lifted herself from the cement, cautiously flickering her ears. The person playing it had soft footsteps and was slowly approaching the bridge. She was terrified and tried to slink back into the darkness of the bridge. Yet, she didn't stop listening.   
A harmonica? Yeah, that's what it was. The Ctarl-Ctarl blinked, then quickly realized that she still had tears on her face and rubbed them off. Aisha listened breathlessly and drew her knees up so the person, whoever it was, wouldn't find her. But she never expected it… to be Jim.   
The soulful playing suddenly cut off and she heard him sigh heavily. There were a few more light footsteps to add to the suspense, when she saw a familiar pair of feet swing over the bridge rail and heard him call, "Aisha? Are you here?" She gulped at this, going pale with fear. A wave of sick dread and hot tension washed over her in an undeniable ocean.   
"Jim?" she whispered cautiously. Suddenly, the feet disappeared; there was the rustling of clothing, and a familiar blonde head popped over the edge. Jim's blue eyes were focusing on her, and he squinted until they adjusted to the light. He looked silly, with his hair falling out in all directions and blowing in the wind.   
"Um… can I come in?"   
Aisha was surprised. She had expected to be drowned in a pressing sea of questions after such an awkward moment between her and … him. But it didn't lessen her gratitude; she let a sad smile slip and held back more tears. "Sure Jim," she reassured, patting the cement beside her. Her large blue eyes watched with amusement as the human tried to reposition himself and began to clumsily reach for the nearest cement bar with his feet. And the Ctarl-Ctarl could help a snicker, seeing him sticking his tongue as he stretched his foot out toward one. "Hey, be careful there! Too bad you're not Ctarl, otherwise this would be easier than… uh, what do you call them?" She tried to seem cheerful, yet he looked at her with cynical eyes, piercing straight through the act.   
Jim slipped onto the cement and sat breathlessly, recovering his wind from being up so high and in an uncomfortable position. Once recovered from the fright, he said, "Do you mean monkey bars?"   
"Yeah!"   
Jim laughed to himself, then climbed over to her perch and sat down beside her. The blonde shook his head, with a nearly permanent grin, and looked up to her. "Aisha, you must be crazy or something," he murmured happily, glancing out to the river, where the daisy had paused on the black, still water.   
There was a sudden bolt of uncertainty that flickered through her, and Aisha didn't quiet know what to say. She turned her eyes out to the river with his, and bit her lip, reminded by the flower on the water. Silence fell thickly between them, like snow. Every few seconds, she'd look back to his pocket, where the harmonica sat, shining where the moonlight caught it.   
Jim noticed her looking back toward him, and his eyes snapped up to her, curious with a misty nervous tone. She saw the relentless questions fuming deep in him, and she knew it wouldn't be long before the events of the day were brought up. Aisha didn't want to be flooded with them, so she summed up the courage to ask it first.   
"I know you came here to ask me… just what happened, so… go ahead and ask," she encouraged nervously, casting her gaze shamefully away.   
But instead, she felt the small body lean against her and wrap her up in a hug. She went rigid with shock, but the comforting of Jim calmed her down strangely, and she soon had slung her arm around his thin shoulders. With his cheek resting against her arm, he said suddenly in their embrace, "Aisha… what's that in your pocket?"   
"An engagement ring," Aisha muttered in a burst of courage, and looked away from his astounded blue eyes, answering the question she knew was coming. The Ctarl-Ctarl teen shivered in the cold, gulped, then whispered, "For Gene."   



	3. Release

Feather on the Water - Part 3 Feather on the Water   
By Chustang Sundust 

~Part 3~   
Release   


Aisha lifted her eyes away to the stars, trying to force the subject away again. Now, as it was knocking on her door, all strength and courage had drained away. A throb of pain flickered up in heart again, as she placed her hand against her pocket casually, hoping Jim would forget it. The Ctarl-Ctarl sat silently, hugging her knees to her chin, as Jim stared at the pocket. He lifted those cute blue eyes up, and her heart felt like it was breaking again.   
The blonde blinked at hearing this, rubbed his temple while lifting up a few locks of golden hair away in the darkness of beneath the bridge. He looked to the bulging pocket, then to Aisha, who had found the sky conveniently interesting, then back to the pocket. Jim pursed his lips in thought, and Aisha could feel his questioning gaze burning on the back of her neck. Suddenly, before she could even react, he had stuck his and in the pocket and pulled the prize out.   
"Jim no don't!" she urged, unable to stop him. She couldn't tackle him, chase him, or even give him a headlock for the human child might fall off the cement, unlike a Ctarl. Aisha just cringed back into the corner like a kitten and held her head in her hands, glancing through her long fingers as he opened the blue velvet case. With clear tears finding night air on her cheeks again, she hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Through all her crying, she didn't notice the heavy footsteps on the bridge over head that stopped to listen.   
It opened, and it seemed like Jim had gone blind with color. He blinked the glare from his eyes and discovered a beautiful and probably extremely expensive metal ring. Jim had never seen metal quiet like it before. It was covered in swirling pores of color, against a natural white background, which changed colors every few seconds. He looked up.   
"For Gene? Could you repeat what you said, cuz I don't believe that you… you…" He came up at a loss for words, and he closed his stuttering lips to fix the words up and stare back at the ring. "I thought Ctarl-Ctarl married, you know, their own kind."   
Aisha sniffed, rubbing the tears from her eyes, then said roughly, "Yeah, well, there have been a few exceptions to the rules over the years." She stopped there, wanting the subject to fade and get dull, so at least there wouldn't be so many questions.   
"Aisha, if you love Gene, then why didn't you ever tell him? Why didn't you tell somebody at least?" Jim asked, crawling up beside her and sitting next to the crying teen. He closed the case and leaned comfortingly against her. Jim had never experienced heartbreak since the death Hamyou, yet he could know what it was like for her. Aisha would have to live with his haunting for all her life; she was in Gene's crew. "You should have spoken up before he fell in love with Mel."   
By now, Aisha was sobbing. "I tried, I really tried! But every time he'd go out, I'd never have the gut. I'd always, always catch him with another girl and I'd forget everything! I didn't even realize I liked him until after the Leyline… by then I was already head over heels!" she cried uncontrollably, letting her face fall into Jim's shoulder.   
Jim sighed deeply, closing his misty blue eyes closed halfway to dull the bright light of the ring. She must have gotten this from her home planet. But they'd never been to planet Ctarl; Aisha had probably been waiting weeks for this to be delivered. The eleven-year-old kid looked again to her, now crying on his shoulder, and heaviness descended on his heart.   
"Are you ever going back to the Outlaw Star?"   
"No…" she whimpered on his shoulder, sniffling uncontrollably. "I was hoping you'd run away with me, Jimmy…"   
"Aisha, be reasonable. I can't leave; the business and Gene depend on me being there to take care of them. Now, if I left, he'd probably get arrested or killed in a street fight without his partner. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Jim said, trying to get her thinking straight.   
"Hmm… maybe," she brooded darkly.   
"Aisha!" Jim reprimanded sharply, surprised at how quickly the Ctarl-Ctarl girl had turned. He got only a snort of anger from her, like saying "He deserves it," and huffily stood up and looked down at her. Jim was surprised and angry; how could she turn on a comrade, a friend, her affection and his Aniki?! "I'm leaving," he said testily, walking on the cement beams to climb back up.   
"Wait!" Aisha cried in response, clearing her crystal blue eyes from their tears and leaping up after him. With her long white hair, which perched on her head in a ponytail, whipping in her face as she scrambled, Jim just gave her a cold shoulder and pulled himself up back onto the bridge. "Wait Jim! I didn't mean it, I swear! It's just-"   
She stopped in mid-sentence, frozen in heart stopping terror as she climbed over the bridge to convince Jim she hadn't meant it, and as her blue eyes adjusted to the light. Jim stood, with a shadow of a triumphant smile slowly growing on his face, against the rail and just shrugged. But it wasn't that that stopped her. It was him.   
"No way Jim! You tricked me! I thought you wouldn't tell!" she accused in horror, trying to slide back under the bridge. But those haunting blue eyes glued her to the spot.   
"I didn't tell him anything," came the reply, with faked innocence and a sly grin. Jim shrugged again. "He just happened to be here to hear it all, that's all."   
She was holding onto the rail, her agile feet drawn up under her while clinging to the side, and she saw the other person on the bridge offer a helping hand. Aisha bit her lip, closed her eyes, and blindly flung her hand into his.   
Warm. That's what first hit her, as she felt him strongly pull her over, and Aisha's eyes shied away instantly from the nervous smile he gave. Finding the ground a safe place for her eyes to land, far away from his handsome face, the Ctarl-Ctarl teen muttered quickly, "Uh, thanks… for the help… I guess you'd better be going. Hah, in fact, look at the time! Is it time for dentist appointment already? Oh, silly me! Bubbye now!" Aisha spun on her heels and stumbled, clawing at the ground to get running, when suddenly she felt someone grab her by the arm.   
"Just wait, Aisha. I came to see if you were okay… I guess I heard what you said… Did you mean it?"   
Her crystal blue eyes went wide with shock, and tears streamed down from them in a blur. She suddenly held back a sob and wrenched the arm away from him, twisting over onto her back. With her eyes narrowed fiercely and flooding with tears, she said breathlessly, "Just go away! GO AWAY!" Her gaze was like a spear of fire, and Gene recoiled suddenly, discovering five long slashes down his hand. The outlaw gazed down at the wounds, bleeding freely from her claws, then looked back at her.   
Aisha felt like she was trapped. Her throat bundled up painfully, seeing the shock and hurt lying deep in his dark blue eyes, and it was suffocating her. The Ctarl-Ctarl blinked, feeling hurt and anger clashing, as a disappointed frown came across Gene's face.   
"I thought we could at least be friends," he said. "Maybe I was wrong." The redhead didn't give her a second look, stuffing his hands into his pockets, then walked on by the crying Aisha.   



	4. Repeat

Feather on the Water - Part 4 Feather on the Water   
By Chustang Sundust   


~Part 4~   
Repeat   


Sleep was like Mission Impossible 3 for Aisha. The vacant halls seemed to resound with the dragging noise of silence. Lying limply in the cockpit, with a blanket wrapped around her for warmth, she had her eyes drowsily half closed, purring to herself as she lightly ran her fingers along the various screens and gauges. It was impossible to sleep, impossible to go back home, impossible to go back to the apartment. So, the Outlaw Star had become a sort of safe haven. Aisha had, while lying awake for hours, figured a plan. She'd hide in the ship, then once they stopped at a planet near Ctarl, she'd hitchhike a ride home from there. The only problem would be actually pulling it off.   
She sighed weakly, settling back deeper into the cockpit and fluttering her eyes closed. The Ctarl-Ctarl teen shivered through the thin blanket and looked around the dark ship. Through the windows surrounding the main bridge, she could see stars peeking shyly from around misty gray clouds in patches of cotton candy.   
Aisha was falling asleep when the sun's glow warmed the cold horizon. Suddenly, there was the slight noise of a door sliding open that even she didn't notice. It didn't hit her that the shadow she'd passed off for nothing in the bridge might be a person until it moved. She blinked in terror, sensing movement behind her, and then yelped in surprise as the lights were flicked on.   
She blinked. He blinked. And Aisha suddenly pulled her gaze away, realizing she'd been staring numbly. The Ctarl-Ctarl drew the blanket up higher around her shoulders, flashing low and nervous glances at him. "Go away," she grumbled, feeling tears burning along her cheeks again. Her vision blurred with tears, and she felt Gene's eyes burn the back of her neck, and she said, hearing no movement from the redhead, "What are you doing here so early, anyway?" There was a sullen, snarling tone to her voice.   
"Couldn't sleep," he said simply, with the same cool nonchalance that made her melt in her seat. Gene had his dark gold cloak slung over his shoulder, and he shrugged Aisha's tension off. The outlaw turned and tossed the coat into the corner. "Besides, I got to thinking. I just came to get some peace and quiet, so they couldn't strangle me in my sleep." He was walking down the hallway as Aisha flickered considering blue eyes, and then tentatively twisted around in the cockpit.   
"Why would they strangle you?" was the soft-spoken, almost shy question from the Ctarl-Ctarl, and she folded her arms, resting her chin on them. "Is it because… of what happened?"   
Gene stopped and his dark blue eyes came to a painful rest on her, searching her face. Through his tangled and unbrushed red hair, she saw a sad, tired smile on his face. "Naw, its okay," he reassured her, scratching his head. "Don't worry about it." His steel blue eyes seemed to be cleared of all hostile emotions, and a warm feeling rippled through Aisha.   
"Well, goodnight Gene," Aisha said softly, casting her eyes down and sliding back into the cockpit. The Ctarl-Ctarl fluffed the thin blanket back around her to warm up, and blinking as the light turned off, with a smile coming to her face as she heard his footsteps echo into the halls. Once the sounds stopped, she twisted her crystal blue eye back to the hall, and the grin widened. For some reason, she felt better. But, still, her heart was still sore from the pain, and Aisha suddenly slipped from her makeshift bed, with the blanket wrapped around her, and trotted silently over to where Gene had tossed his cloak. The teen glanced around once or twice, then took the blue velvet case and slipped it into one of the pockets.   
Aisha Clanclan was undeniably in love, but… perhaps, she had the definition of love wrong. Maybe she didn't have to be the name on Gene's lips, the sole subjects of his thoughts, or the girl at his side to love him, or for him to love her. In the steely darkness, no one saw the tears of happiness that, for the first time in ten years, had found themselves on Aisha's face. She slipped back into the cockpit, inhaled deeply, and then slipped off finally to sleep. 

Gene still hadn't found away to forget everything. In the pale light of five in the morning, he staggered drunkenly from his room, with only a few hours of sleep to run on. The redhead stretched, walked to the kitchen and took a drink from the milk carton, before getting dressed. He might as well get to work on the ship repairs, if he wasn't going to fall asleep. There were simply too many things on his mind. Work, surviving, pirates, Melfina, and of course, the heartbroken Aisha.   
He'd left hundreds of broken hearts behind him, and for the young and reckless Gene Starwind, one more shouldn't have bothered him. But it did. Seeing some one as strong and carefree as Aisha breaking down into a pool of pitiful on the floor was not the most pleasant. He just didn't know how to handle it.   
The outlaw was passing the bridge, when he saw the pale, pastel colored sunrise light streaming across the metal floor and remembered Aisha. A painful twist in his throat came up, and he remembered his cloak was out there. Gene paused, glancing back at the door out, before he walked quietly in. He saw her lying, doubled up with her tail wrapped around her shivering body, and the twisted tightened. It felt like everything bad that had happened to her was his fault. Gene sighed, then picked up his cloak, and feeling a sudden lump in the pocket, pulled out its contents in curiosity.   
The velvet case struck another string deep within him, and he looked back up to Aisha with pensive blue eyes. Gene took the coat, seeing her shiver, and laid it over Aisha. Instantly, she subconsciously curled up with it, and a smile came across her cold face. With that, Gene decided dinner would be on him tomorrow.   
  
  
End   



End file.
